CPI leader D Raja slammed the BJD, Odisha's ruling party, for staying away from the debate on no-trust motion against the NDA government in the Lok Sabha, and said it has lost the opportunity to highlight alleged neglect of the state by the Centre.
"The BJD should have participated in the debate over the no-confidence motion in the Lok Sabha yesterday. It is unfortunate that the regional political party chose to keep away from discussion," Raja, CPI's national secretary, told reporters.
The BJD should also have taken a critical view on the NDA government as it has all along been accusing the Centre of neglecting and discriminating against Odisha and has been criticising it on several issues affecting the state.
"Friday's debate in Parliament had provided the BJD with a good chance to project its views in the interest of the state, but the party failed to do so," he said, adding that it could have raised issues related to Mahanadi, Polavaram project and its demand for grant of special category status.
Defeating the BJP in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls is important for the country's future and the BJD should also understand this and contribute towards strengthening the secular and democratic forces, he said.
To gear up for the 2019 Lok Sabha polls and forge unity among like-minded parties in Odisha, the CPI would launch a campaign from August 1 to 14 by holding seminars and meetings to highlight the need to "save the constitution and the country," he said.
Thereafter, it would organise meetings at the constituency levels before fine-tuning its strategies for the general election, Raja said.
The Lok Sabha and assembly polls in Odisha are scheduled to be held together next year.